Omaha daily bee., 1887-10-19
The General Land once Report.

d
formation OF interest to every citizen.
1t starts out by saying that the policy OF
preceding years for the suppression OF
fraud, the prevention of land monopoly,
the recovery of public lands illegally
seized or dominated, and tho preserva-
tion of the public domain for actual
inhabitancy by the people Of the coun-
try, was steadily maintained during the
past year, and the commissioner says he
has not word TO recall Of what he had
hitherto uttered touching the aggra-
waited misappropriations to which public
lands have been subjected through
improvident laws and inefficient
methods of administration, and to
which they are still exposed under
present wasteful and fraud-inspiring
systems of disposal" Those who have
given attention to the course of Com
missioner Sparks will not hesitate to
give him credit for consistency.
AS in previous years the general land
office accomplished less than it might
have done because of inadequate appro-
priations, but still it did great deal
of work most valuable to the country,
and all of which served to illustrate
more strongly the vastness of this field
of reform, in which there is yet left to
be performed great amount Of labor.
The field examinations, the commits
sioner says, have developed fraudulent
and defective surveys, heretofore
returned, to an extent which renders
apparent the necessity for an inspection
of all preceding surveys, and fully
justifies the conclusion reached
to defer payment of accounts
for past surveys until the true character
of the work shall have been ascertained.
In New Mexico about forty claims were
examined during the year, and in nearly
every instance the surveyor general
recommends their rejection on the
ground OF fraud or noncompliance with
the law. Many were found to cover
areas several times as large as that of
the original grant. The claims under
the swamp land grants, now aggregat-
ing over II 600, 900 acres, have received
thorough investigation, with the result
of demonstrating that many of them are
fraudulent, the character of the land
being represented. Patents have been
issued for more than twO-thirds of the
amount of these claims. In short, all
that had previously been reported re-
garding fraudulent surveys was fully
confirmed by the Investigations of the
past year and considerable new
evidence added. Some of these
can be rectifed, but it is
probable the greater part of them
will stand, owing to the difficulties
which in many cases an attempt at COR
rection would encounter and the large
expenditure that would be involved.
The great public Importance of the mat
ter is obvious, but congress has never
been very liberal in providing for this
work, and it is not likely to be more so
hereafter.
The political results achieved are
gratifying. In a little more than two
years nearly thirty-two million acres
have been restored to the public domain, E,
while last year the sales, entries and
selection of bonds amounted to nearly
twenty-six million acres, the govern
ment's receipts from the disposal of pub
lie lands during the last fiscal year being
over $l2,O00,O0O The commissioner
elaborates on the subject of the for
feiture of railroad land grants, renewing
his recommendation that forfeiture be
declared in all cases in which the roads
were not completed within the time and
in the manner conditioned in the re-
spective grants. The Investigations of
the land Office into the methods pursued
by the corporations in regard to their
grants have as to most OF them disclosed
Il state of things which the commits
sioner describes in language not to be
| misunderstood. Regarding reform in
the public land laws, the commissioner
| believes that amendments in detail are
impracticable, and thinks the time fol
tinkering has passed. "What is
needed he says, sis an entire reforma
tion of existing laws, retaining
an absolute homestead law and
obsoleting all other forms OF disposal o
agricultural lands" He thinks tn,
exclusive condition OF acquiring
title to such lands should be actual resi-
dence, improvement and cultivation fo
the homestead period of five years.
The work of the Office is largely in ar
rears, the demands upon it do not dimin
ish, and congress should grant the in
crease Of clerical force asked for by th'
commissioner, and enlarge the appro
priation for this important service s.
that the delays and difficulties inciden
to inadequate means and facilities ma.
be avoided. There is hardly any othe
branch of the public service in whicl
the practice of a narrow economy woul
result more to the disadvantage of tn
public interests than in this.